Psalm 38 Continued…
Psalm 38:1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
As we have already discussed, David deals with the Lord’s discipline in this Psalm. He connects his sickness to his sin (which he confesses). But an interesting note is the attitude that David has about the discipline of God. He expresses concern that God not dispense his discipline in an angry spirit. David is not saying he should not be disciplined, in fact, he expects it and is not surprised by it.
How about you? Do you expect discipline from the Lord? Are you surprised by it?
The Bible teaches that, as our loving Heavenly Father, God disciplines us. His discipline is not doubtful; it is assured: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:5–6, quoting Proverbs 3:11–12). God’s “discipline” (“chastisement” in the NKJV) and “rebuke” come to “everyone.” His correction is, in fact, a sign of His love for His children, and we are to “not lose heart” when we experience it.
Human fathers have a responsibility to train their children (see Ephesians 6:4), and part of that training is to administer discipline. Just as human fathers wisely discipline their children, so does God: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all” (Hebrews 12:7–8). As we undergo God’s discipline, we can rejoice in at least one fact: God is treating us as true children of His (see Deuteronomy 8:5)!
Discipline is not the same as condemnation. God disciplines His children, but He does not condemn them. Romans 8:1 makes this clear: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:33–34). Discipline has to do with training and growth; condemnation has to do with punishment and guilt.
God’s discipline begins when we are born again into His family. We immediately begin to learn and understand the Word of God and adjust our lives accordingly. This is a blessing in our lives:
“Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble” (Psalm 94:12–13). This type of discipline is more preventative than corrective. Troubled days are coming, and the Lord would spare us.
PRAY
Father help me to embrace your discipline as an act of love for my sake.